Mount Merapi

Mount Merapi (peak height of 2,968 m above sea level, per 2006) is a volcano in the central part of Java Island and is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. Slopes of the south side are in administration Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region, and the rest are in the region of Central Java province, namely Magelang District on the west side, Boyolali on the north and east, and Klaten district on the southeastern side. Forest area around the peak became Mount Merapi National Park area since 2004.


The mountain is very dangerous because according to modern records having eruption (peak liveliness) every two to five years and is surrounded by a very dense settlement. Since 1548, this mountain has erupted 68 times. [Need reference] Magelang and Yogyakarta City is the closest major city, is under 30 miles from the peak. On the slopes there are settlements up to an altitude of 1700 m and is just four kilometers from the peak. Because of this importance, Merapi became one of sixteen volcanoes of the world including the Decade Volcanoes project (Decade Volcanoes).